This invention relates to the field of window shades for vehicle windows of the type that are primarily used to shade the side windows of the vehicle.
Prior art window shades for vehicle windows of which the inventor is aware include those described in the following United States patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,546 discloses a roller blind for a motor vehicle comprising a housing with a curved guide slot through which a strip of flexible material extends fixed to a roller for winding up thereon, and a curved pull bar affixed to the free end of the blind.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,775 discloses a window shade primarily for a vehicle windshield, comprising a shade strip and a winding shaft being axially displaced when the shade strip is pulled past a window or wound back onto the shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,224 discloses a rear window shade assembly for the rear window of a vehicle, comprising a base which can be set on a back-seat shelf of an automobile with a roll shade mechanism, a winch, and an angularly adjustable crane arm mounted thereon. A cord extends from the winch along the crane arm and is attached to the outer free end of a shade on the roll shade mechanism for extending and retracting the shade.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,542 discloses a sun visor device for shading the rear window of an automobile, comprising a seat, a shade roller having an elongated cylindrical housing and a retractable shade body received in the cylindrical housing, a gripping member and a stay rod. The seat and gripping member are mounted on a platform located under the rear window of the automobile and an inside rubber bib connected to the roof panel of the automobile and biased by a stay rod connected therebetween. The sun visor device can be installed and removed without drilling holes in the interior surface of the automobile.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,263 discloses a window screen or shade for motor vehicles comprising a wind-up roller biased in the wind-up direction to which one end of a screen or shade is secured. The other end is mounted in an end rail which may be pushed upwardly by a pair of levers. The levers are pivoted to a support member at each opposite end of the roller, and they have their outer free ends in bearing engagement against the end rail. As their free ends are pivoted upwardly, they push the end rail and shade member upwardly against the bias of the wind-up roller in the opposite direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,041 discloses a glare protection device for use with the rear window of passenger cars, comprising laterally separated flexible guide rails, a pull bar fixed to one edge of a sunscreen, the other edge of the sunscreen being fixed to a roll bar, a pair of hold bars slidably received in the end portions of the pull bar, each of the hold bars engaging respective ones of the guide rails.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,018 discloses a free standing sunshade assembly to be attached to a motor vehicle, comprising a shade housing having an internal sunshade roller which stores the shade material, the shade being positioned and maintained in a desired extended or retracted position through use of an elongated stiffener tape member having a crowned cross-sectional shape which provides bending stiffness. The stiffener tape is stored by coiling within a stiffener tape housing and is extended and retracted along with the shade material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,773 discloses a wind-up curtain for motor vehicles comprising a sheet of flexible opaque material having a plurality of holes and attached to a wind-up shaft carried by end supports. A semi-cylindrical casing is parallel to the wind-up shaft to permit a hand grip member to be rotated, when mounted, from one side to the other of the casing.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,594,386 discloses an anti-glare shade for windshields comprising a mounting device to mount the shade assembly on the dashboard along the bottom edge of the windshield, a wind-up roller supported on the mounting device, a flexible sheet shade member having one end secured to the wind-up roller, an eyelet in the center of the opposite end of the shade member to receive one of the lugs of a retaining member secured to the upper edge of the windshield.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,677,287 discloses an apparatus for adjusting automobile curtains, comprising an assembly of pulleys and cords which are connected to curtains to the rear of the driver, with a portion of the cord within reach of the driver so he can raise or lower the curtains to his rear from the driver's seat.